


Crimin4l Numb3rs

by Valerie_Vancollie



Category: Numb3rs (TV)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Authority Challenge, Bank Robbery, Brother Feels, Brother-Brother Relationships, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Canonical Character Death, Case Fic, Challenge Response, Character Death, Chases, Community: numb3rs100, Crimes & Criminals, Criminal Charlie Eppes, Criminal Don Eppes, Criminal Masterminds, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Games, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, LiveJournal, LiveJournal Prompt, Major Character Injury, Man Hunt, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Mathematicians, Mathematics, Mind Games, Minor Character Death, Murder, Not Canon Compliant, Organized Crime, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, POV Alternating, POV Criminal, Partners in Crime, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Robbery, Taunting, Work In Progress, cat and mouse chase
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 4,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24998815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valerie_Vancollie/pseuds/Valerie_Vancollie
Summary: A new criminal element has arrived in LA; namely the brothers Eppes.Or what could Don & Charlie do if they really put their minds to it & went bad?ON HIATUS!
Relationships: Charlie Eppes & Don Eppes, Colby Granger & David Sinclair, Colby Granger & Megan Reeves, Don Eppes & Billy Cooper, Don Eppes & David Sinclair, Don Eppes & Liz Warner, Don Eppes & Megan Reeves, Don Eppes/Liz Warner, Ian Edgerton & Don Eppes
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	1. Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic being posted here for the first time now that I have an AO3 account. Unlike for my other fic, my original site for this fandom still exists and is [3695](https://valeriev84.livejournal.com). **Please note, this fic is unfinished at present and I am not actively working on it just now. I am simply posting here what has been online elsewhere. That said, I have not fully abandoned it, so there may be more later.**
> 
>  **Notes:**  
>  1) This is actually a series of drabbles which I've posted together here for ease of reading & posting. Plus it is one big story, though there will be various subsets of drabbles that will cluster around a certain point in time and go together. These drabbles will not necessarily be posted together as I instead dripple out parcels of info.  
> 2) The idea for this series was given to me by fanfictionrules who got it from alleskleber. Once I had the idea, I decided to write it to the word prompts from [numb3rs100](https://numb3rs100.livejournal.com/), going back and starting with their very first one and taking each prompt in turn from there. Each fic in this series will therefore be a drabble of 100, 200 or 300 words.  
> 3) The series does not flow chronologically, each drabble can instead be from any point in time, slowly weaving together the overall story. The order the drabbles were published in is, of course, their 'chapter order' here, but below is a listing of the chronological order of the drabbles. Just remember, they were meant to be read in the order they were published in.
> 
>  **Chronological Order:** (will be updated with new drabbles) _Margaritas/Cinco de Mayo_ , _Starting Over_ , _Fantasy_ , _Future_ , _Moderation_ , _Possibility/Probability_ , _Science and/or Art_ , _Travel_ , _Time_ , _Deviation_ , _Color_ , _Third Person_ , _Home_ , _Humanity_ , _Conversation_ , _Learning_ , _Surface_ , _Luck_ , _Tense_ & _In Another World_

"My client came here voluntarily to answer questions, not to be interrogated!"

"Your client is a suspect in an ongoing investigation," David retorted.

"Based on what evidence?"

"We have several solid leads."

"No, you don't," the suspect stated calmly, his entire posture relaxed; confident. "Or I'd have been arrested and placed in an interrogation room."

David turned his head slightly to meet the dark fathomless gaze, forcing himself not to flinch under the weight of it. "Really?" he demanded, attempting to remain in control of the conversation.

"Yes. It's standard procedure."

"And you'd know all about that given your past, wouldn't you? Not to mention exactly how to plan and execute an attack as complex as Tuesday's."

"All right, that's enough. We are done here," the lawyer declared as he put his legal pad in his briefcase and rose to his feet before turning to face his client, tone respectful. "Sir?"

Don Eppes slowly stood up and smiled smugly at Agent Sinclair. "It's been a pleasure talking with you," he taunted before he turned and strode confidently out of the room, forcing agents to make way for him as he crossed the bull pen on his way to the elevator.

March 22, 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first posted this one, the summary for it was " _A new criminal element has arrived in L.A._ " so as not to give away the ending of the drabble. Once it grew into a longer series that was no longer possible. So sorry if this one was a bit ruined by that.


	2. Starting Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A critical turning point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before _Conversation_ , this is the earliest drabble in the timeline at this point of the fic. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Dr. Charles Eppes threw the math journal he was attempting to read aside and sighed in frustration. He wasn't used to having such a hard time reaching a decision. Most of his life had been laid out for him since he was three years old. The schools, tutors, advanced classes, colleges, PhD program, and post-doc work all flowed smoothly and easily from one to the next. He had never had to stop and think about it, had just gone along with it. He only ever needed to suppress one desire, one fantasy, that kept recurring but which he knew to be wrong.

Yet now, now he wasn't so sure anymore despite what he'd told his brother upon getting out of the hospital. Charlie had believed that he could just return to his old life, to what he'd done before the accident, and that Don would go do the same. The only difference being that they'd have to decide where to meet for the holidays now that their parents were gone.

If they got together anymore.

Charlie's heart ached at the mere thought that he and Don would simply continue to drift apart, as they had been doing since graduating from high school, until they were nothing more than strangers with shared DNA. No, that couldn't happen. He refused to lose his big brother as well, not now that he'd lost everything else. The thing was, Don would never admit to it if he felt any similar desire, so he would simply have to take the first step and go to him; which meant leaving England and moving to Quantico where Don was currently teaching.

The biggest problem was: could he be near Don when all he wanted to do, all that he had any great desire for anymore, was illegal?

* * *

April 2007


	3. Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megan muses on the complexities of humanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Starting Over_ and _Conversation_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Megan Reeves sighed as she looked at the file. She should be happy; she had more information than normal to compile a profile with, but the source of the intel bothered her. It came from the FBI databank, the personnel (or former personnel) databank.

"Eppes was a tactical instructor at Quantico."

"What?!" Colby demanded, shocked. "Let's hope he didn't know his material very well."

"No, let's hope he did. Better to have one well-informed criminal than a slew of poorly trained agents."

"True," Colby admitted, hesitating. "I guess you were right about the similarities in the backgrounds of agents and criminals."

"But that's just it, there's nothing in Eppes' past to even suggest this!"

"And in his father's file?"

"Alan Eppes was suspected of working to overthrow the government, though the group claims to have been peaceful protestors. It doesn't fit with Eppes' crimes."

"What's going on then? Why did he turn against the Bureau?"

"He hasn't, not really. Yes, he's taken to crime, but he hasn't targeted the Bureau. In fact, the early crimes he's suspected of weren't in our jurisdiction. He seems to have been quite careful about that."

"So why kill the cop in Illinois?"

"I don't know. It doesn't fit his style. Something must have happened, something unexpected."

"More unexpected than an agent turning criminal?"

"Something," Megan mused thoughtfully.

It simply didn't fit; not the way it normally did. Don Eppes was one of those complexities that had originally fascinated her so about human nature. He fell outside of the normal behavior patterns for both agents and the criminals they normally saw. There was something she was missing, some critical pieces of information that would explain why such a promising agent who was rising so quickly through the ranks would suddenly abandon his career and principles.

May 2007


	4. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edgerton briefs the L.A. team on the brothers Eppes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after _Conversation_ , this is the last drabble in the timeline at this point of the fic. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"The thing to take away from this session is that we are dealing with two highly intelligent men," Ian Edgerton declared, looking at the L.A. office agents. "The brothers Eppes don't make many mistakes, and they never, _never_ make the same one twice."

"They killed that cop in Illinois," David argued. "That was a huge mistake."

"True, but we can't prove it was them. We can't conclusively prove that they have committed any crime, which is why they are still free."

"How do you know they are guilty at all?" someone inquired.

"The trail of crime that follows them, for one," Ian replied, showing a map of the country with a line cutting a random path from Quantico to L.A.. "This marks their route as we've determined it, and this," a series of dots appeared along the line, "marks the crimes they are suspected of.

"Also, anyone who's spoken with Don Eppes will be in no doubt of his guilt, though he will never explicitly incriminate himself."

"It's a game to him," Megan stated. "He is confident to the point of arrogance and is toying with us."

"With me in particular. I have been on his case in some form since it became clear that he was responsible for what had been seen as unrelated crimes. He has taken to taunting me."

"Not a particularly smart move," Colby commented.

"Yet he has gotten away with it," Ian replied grudgingly. "The Eppes' crimes are marked by three particular qualities: first, they hit hard targets, ones that are seen as unattainable; second, they are executed with extreme precision; and third, they are relatively big payouts in some form. As I said, they don't make many mistakes and they are making less and less. They are learning and making it harder for us."

28 May 2007


	5. Fantasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie finally realizes a childhood dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Starting Over_ and _Humanity_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Charlie's finger froze over the enter key. This was it. If he did this, there would be no turning back. Was he really ready for this? Ready to risk everything?

Oh, he didn't doubt what he was about to do would be entirely undetectable. That wasn't what worried him. Even their experts wouldn't be able to trace it. No, it was Don that worried him. Would Don stand by him when he admitted the truth? Or would he turn him over to his precious Bureau?

If it were anyone else, Charlie would be able to determine what their decision would be. But Don... Don was different.

His brother was an enigma and it frustrated him at times. He had more data on Don than on the people he occasionally did problems on and yet he could never seem to predict what Don would do as he did the strangers' actions.

Don was his personal P vs. NP.

Charlie didn't think he would turn him in, especially not after what he'd witnessed recently, but he couldn't be sure. Hence his hesitation. He'd felt more alive in the past ten minutes than he had for years. He'd dreamed of testing his math against that of the country's best. He'd fantasized about it when his classmates would tease him about the uselessness of his numbers.

The mere thought had been enough to fill him with excitement; the illegality of it enticing him. To hack the complex systems supposed to protect all manner of important things from secrets to money to information. It was all there, hidden behind encryptions and firewalls and a myriad of other protections; just waiting for him to extricate.

But Don...

What would Don do?

Charlie looked at the screen, hesitating before he hit the enter key and unleashed havoc.

June 2007


	6. Third Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian attempts to prove Don's guilt via another means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Fantasy_ and _Humanity_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in," Ian declared as he rested his palms on the tabletop and looked the man in the eye. "I've got enough on you to lock you away for ten to twenty years. Give me what I want and I can ensure that you get significantly less."

"No, you don't understand; I'm not interested," Donaldson retorted, shaking off his lawyer's placating hand.

"I strongly advise that you reconsider," the man persisted.

"No."

"Are you really willing to take the fall for him? Let him get away while you rot in jail?" Ian demanded.

"There'd hardly be any fall taking involved," Donaldson reasoned, knowing that it was his own fault that he'd been caught red-handed and was in an FBI interrogation room. The theft itself had been flawlessly organized and executed; he'd screwed it up by attempting to sell his share too early. Besides, he was no snitch, especially not on someone like Don Eppes.

"Give me Eppes and I will ensure that the DA knows you helped bring in a dangerous and wanted felon," Ian pushed, determined not to let the former Fed slip through his fingers yet again like some ghost.

"Who?"

June 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, yes, I know, I probably shouldn't have used _Donaldson_ ( _Donald's son_ ) as a surname here, but it didn't occur to me at the time of writing it. It wasn't until I'd posted it that someone pointed it out to me and by then it was too late. Oops.


	7. Science and/or Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edgerton gets briefed on Dr. Charles Eppes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Fantasy_ and _Third Person_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"This is Dr. Charles Edward Eppes," Agent Hendricks stated as he brought up a photo of a young man, hardly more than a boy, with a mass of curly hair. "Goes by Charlie."

"Doctor?" Ian questioned, examining the face.

"PhD in mathematics. A genius, apparently, turning the science into an art or something like that. He's five years younger than Eppes but they graduated high school together before he flew through college. He was in England for a while but moved to join his brother eight months before Eppes left Quantico."

"Do we know why?"

"Not definitively, but my profiler thinks he could have gotten homesick. Charles has spent most of his life with at least one member of his family; his mother even moved across the country to be with him at Princeton. With his parents dead, that leaves only Eppes."

"So they're traveling together," Ian paused. "Is Dr. Eppes along voluntarily?"

"It would appear so. The question is whether he's aware of what his brother is doing."

"Maybe he's helping his brother," Agent Kevlin suggested.

Agent Martin snorted. "A mathematician help a former Fed commit crime? What's he gonna do, count the number of guards at the bank?"

July 2007


	8. Deviation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don's instincts kick in just before a job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Science and/or Art_ and _Third Person_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Don's gloved hands tightened on his state-of-the-art binoculars as the slightly off feeling he'd been having all day morphed into a siren, his instincts kicking into full gear.

The guard hadn't stopped for a cigarette. He _always_ stopped for a cigarette when he reached the outermost point of his rounds. Always. Don had been observing him for three weeks now, scrutinizing his every action, so he should know. Humans were creatures of habit, forming them even when they tried their damnest to avoid them. Then they just created new habits.

The guard hadn't stopped for a cigarette.

Anger bubbled to life within Don as he watched the man a few seconds longer, ignoring the impatient shifting of his accomplice beside him. Someone had betrayed them. That or someone's tongue was looser than it should be and the authorities had put two and two together. He'd soon figure out which it was and ensure that it never happened again.

"Abort," Don snapped into his radio.

"What?" the incredulous cry by the man next to him was echoed by Donaldson from his position.

"Fall back."

"Don, what's going on?" Charlie's voice questioned in his ear.

"They're expecting us; it's a setup."

"You're sure?" Donaldson demanded.

"Positive."

"How?" the man beside him persisted, not willing to let the matter drop so quickly.

"Instinct," Don declared as he turned and headed back the way they'd come, disappearing into the inky darkness. "Experience."

The fact that neither he nor Charlie had received a visit from one of his old colleagues indicated the authorities either didn't know of their involvement or didn't have enough to bring them in. That or Edgerton had learned a few new tricks. A wicked smile crossed Don's face at the thought; if only he should be so lucky.

19 July 2007


	9. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don. Bar. Beer. Disbelief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MPDC stands for Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
> 
> Set between _Fantasy_ and _Science and/or Art_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Don couldn't believe it.

He just _could not_ believe it.

Charlie... a criminal.

For that's what his little brother had admitted to, criminal activity. To being the one MPDC were after.

God, he couldn't believe it. Knocking back the beer, Don signaled the bartender for another one, ignoring the look the man gave him as he glanced at the empty glasses beside him.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Arrest Charlie?

That was what it came down to. Technically he should arrest his little brother. Or, at the very least, report his confession to MPDC.

But... it was Charlie. His little brother. The annoying, selfish, irritating, arrogant, stubborn, genius, younger brother. The one he'd sworn to protect despite the cost to himself.

So, what now? Where did that leave him? He couldn't stay with the Bureau, not if he wanted to protect Charlie. But did he really want to leave it? Leave everything he had worked so hard for and trade it for that which he'd sought to eradicate?

Don frowned as he shoved the empty glass alongside its siblings. He was still far too sober to be contemplating this.

Perhaps it was time for something stronger?

November 2007


	10. Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even master criminals need a vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Science and/or Art_ and _Deviation_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Charlie stopped as he finally caught sight of his brother. He had just gotten back from a snorkeling expedition and was eager to show his older brother the seashells he'd found; two in particular were gorgeous examples of a natural Fibonacci spiral.

Don, it seemed, had wasted little time getting to know new people. Although his older brother had started the day off waterskiing, he was currently leaning against the outdoor bar talking with not one, but two stunning bikini clad women. His smile was one that Charlie was more than familiar with; it was the one Don always gave beautiful women. The one they seemed completely unable to resist.

The smile his mother used to say could brighten an entire room in an instant.

With a smile of his own, Charlie quickly walked out of sight. His plan appeared to be working. Don had been wound far too tight lately and needed to relax before something gave.

Especially after Chicago...

Charlie violently shoved the memory from his mind.

The important thing was that Don was finally unwinding. Though, with three weeks in the Caribbean, he could hardly do anything else. Not with all the sun, sports, drinks and women.

November 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt was one of the ones that I didn't have a clear scene in mind for ahead of time. When I sat down to write it, I rapidly went through a few possibilities before deciding on this one.
> 
> The other options were Ian first arriving in LA and getting introduced to the team or Ian stuck at an airport somewhere trying to get to the location of the latest crime thought to be committed by the brothers Eppes.
> 
> I think one or both of those may yet make it as a drabble at some later point.


	11. Possibility/Probability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian gets assigned to the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Future_ and _Science and/or Art_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"You requested to see me, Sir?"

"Ah, Ian. Yes. Please come in and take a seat," Special Agent Brandon said, getting up to shake his hand before pointedly closing the door to his office.

"Is something wrong?"

"Potentially. I've got a case that I want you to work."

"Where?" Ian inquired, curiosity piqued.

Normally Brandon let him choose his own cases from the ones assigned to their unit when he wasn't busy training other snipers or assigned to other agencies. The ones he was actually assigned to were generally unique or delicate in some manner.

"That depends on which crime you're considering," Brandon replied, running a weary hand over his face.

"Ah, one of those."

"If only," Brandon retorted before he sighed and tossed a large folder towards his best agent. "I received a call from an old partner of mine at the Chicago office. He's dealing with an unusual bank robbery during the course of which a cop was killed."

"This is his main suspect?" Ian asked looking at the photo clipped to the folder.

A man with intense, dark eyes and equally dark hair stared back at him. Even from the picture, Edgerton could tell that this one had the potential to be a formidable adversary.

"Hendricks believes so. The thing is, the more he digs, the more he suspects that the man may be behind a series of unsolved crimes stretching across multiple states."

"And?" Ian asked, wondering why his boss was so reticent.

"And he used to be one of us," Brandon finished, eyes glued to the photo.

"An agent?!"

"Yes. Do you see why I want you on this? If there's even the possibility of it, it needs to be handled with the utmost care. And if Hendricks thinks it's him, then it probably is."

December 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble continues the thread of the Chicago/Illinois cop killing that I've been dancing around. It first cropped up in _Humanity_ , then _Learning_ and the last hint was in _Travel_. As Megan noted in the third drabble, something happened to trigger that event. It is a turning point in more ways than one. This is one of several threads that shall unravel as more information comes to light. It is also one of a clustering of drabbles around certain points in time, which is why I'm posting a complete chronological order of the chapters in the notes at the start of the fic. The only problem is that the original prompt word that inspired the Chicago event is number 74, _shot_. Not sure I'm going to be able to put it off that long though.


	12. Margaritas/Cinco de Mayo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes justice requires a little rule bending. Little by little...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before _Starting Over_ , this is the earliest drabble in the timeline at this point of the fic. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"Aren't you glad that we did it?" Billy inquired as they passed a group of laughing children, whom their newly acquired fugitive's eyes followed down the street.

"Yes," Don admitted as he gave Groening a slight shove.

The adrenaline still coursing through his body from the chase and the stinging from his bruised face overrode any sense of guilt for what they'd done. Though it would probably come later when he thought about it.

It _was_ illegal.

Yet this close to the border many towns were celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Don shuddered to think of Groening loose any longer among the crowds. The man was a sexual predator and his tastes ran to the very young.

Still, if the woman complained...

"Don't worry about her," Coop chastised, effortlessly reading him. "Didn't you see the number of empty margarita bottles on the floor? No way she'll remember us."

Don knew that didn't make it legal, but the photos from Groening's file left no doubt of the man's evil and he knew they'd done the right thing.

Which did nothing to explain the odd thrill he'd felt when he'd given in or the strange exhilaration that coursed through him even now.

13 December 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here is Coop's introduction in the series. As he's my second favorite character, I knew that I just had to have him in it. He also instantly came to mind when I wanted Don to have a little experience with the illegal prior to Charlie taking him over to the Dark Side.
> 
> This drabble also hints a little at the second reason for Don's decision to become a criminal.
> 
> Although at first I had intended for Coop to only be in this drabble, he had so much fun with his cameo that he has taken my muse at gun point and demanded more. So expect him to make a few more appearances in future drabbles.


	13. Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don welcomes Ian to LA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after _Learning_ , this is the last drabble in the timeline at this point of the fic. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"Uh, Edgerton?" Colby began hesitantly as he stopped by the cubicle where Ian and Megan were sitting.

"Yes?" Ian replied, looking up at the nervous agent, seeing Megan and David's attention also piqued.

"I grabbed everyone's mail on my way and I found this," Colby said, holding up an expensive looking, cream colored envelope.

Ian's eyes narrowed in recognition before he snarled, "That bastard!" as he snatched the letter from the younger agent's hand and tore it open.

"What is it?" David inquired, startled at the sudden anger.

"It's from Eppes," Colby explained.

"He sends you cards?" Megan questioned incredulously, adding this new display of arrogance to her profile.

"Every time I rejoin the case," Ian stated, crumpling the card in his hand.

"Careful, that's evidence!" David exclaimed.

"Ha! We should be so lucky. Here, see."

Megan and Colby crowded around David to read over his shoulder.

_Hello Ian,_

_I've heard you're in LA, working on hunting down those responsible for the recent specialized crime spree._

_Goodie, goodie._

_I would wish you luck with your hunt, but, well... quite simply I don't believe in that kind of luck._

_Welcome to LA, I hope you enjoy it here._

_Sincerely,_

_Don Eppes_

December 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was partially inspired by the _Hannibal_ movie here with Lector's letter to Clarice. Unfortunately, I didn't have the room to do as long of a letter.
> 
> For those of you waiting for a scene with both Don and Ian together, that would be number 18, _Tense_. There will be more later on as well.


	14. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie works to overcome an obstacle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Travel_ and _Deviation_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

_Target: 80 seconds._

Charlie stared at the complex algorithms on his laptop screen and then at the expressions he'd written on the whiteboard.

It wasn't enough. Not yet.

_Current Time: 192 seconds._

He needed to bring it down to under 120 seconds to work and under 80 to satisfy Don's obsessive desire for a safety net. He'd made a lot of progress, but it wasn't enough. Not yet.

Charlie frowned, unconsciously bobbing his head to the blaring music. Whoever had written the algorithms was good, very good. He knew he was better.

Besides, it wasn't like the algorithms had been written to prevent what he was doing. They were merely one of several security features designed to protect the museum's vault. A time limit in which several encryption keys and physical locks needed to be opened.

It showed how far Don had come that he thought first of putting the countdown in a continuous loop instead of attempting to find ways to open all the locks in the allocated time.

If he could divide x by 2, it would reduce alpha greatly.

Charlie froze momentarily before rushing to the whiteboard and scribbling another equation upon it.

_Current Time: 105 seconds._

26 December 2007


	15. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally back in L.A., Don and Charlie return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Third Person_ and _Humanity_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Don sighed as he caught sight of the dust bunnies and dirt on the floor. The Bakers had obviously left angry. Not that he hadn't given them two years notice, twice what the rental contract stipulated. They had always tried to convince them to sell, though, so perhaps they'd banked on keeping the Craftsman.

There was nothing for it. Perhaps he should get a professional cleaning crew to come in before the furniture came out of storage. Then they could have the floor properly polished.

Don shut his eyes as he remembered his parents discussing the upkeep chores of the house. He'd often thought of them since the accident, but now, standing in his childhood home, it seemed more real. The echoes were everywhere; as if their ghosts still lived here.

Perhaps that was why Charlie had gone into the garage instead of coming inside.

Charlie...

Don winced as he thought of what his parents would say if they could see them now. They'd be overjoyed to see them getting along much less working together, but as for what they did... While they'd never approved of the FBI, he somehow doubted they'd be any happier with him taking up crime.

May 2008


	16. Moderation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie struggles between logic and emotion as he ponders the opportunities of Chicago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Future_ and _Possibility/Probability_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Charlie threw the marker down in frustration as he glanced at his list of potential targets. They'd decided yesterday that Chicago would be their next stop on their cross-country trip home and already he had too many options. The city simply had so many opportunities for him and he was loath to eliminate any.

Logically he understood Don's caution; that if they hung around anywhere too long, did too many jobs in one area or attacked certain types of targets, they were more likely to be discovered. It was simple statistics after all.

Yet...

Another part of Charlie screamed in outrage at the very idea of any kind of restraint. He wanted to do it all and do it now, damnit! To prove to everyone that he could successfully penetrate all of those defenses and steal what they protected.

It was a side of him that had been growing, nurtured by each successful job and by the very fact that he'd convinced his elder brother to abandon the Bureau to join him in a life of crime. Strengthened by the knowledge that he'd won.

The fact that it was Don arguing for moderation, however, gave Charlie pause. Not only was Don normally the one to charge fearlessly ahead, but he also knew the system better and knew exactly what to expect. That was why he had already scrubbed a number of possibilities off the list.

The bank, the bank however, he simply couldn't make himself cross off. It wasn't an easy job, either mathematically or tactically, nor was it as big of a payout as some of the other targets, but the temptation was too great. To go up against a system designed by James Herots... he just couldn't leave that.

Which left only one problem:

How to convince Don?

May 2008

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, another drabble in the Chicago story arc. What happened will slowly be unveiled!


	17. In Another World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colby admits to entertaining dangerous thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after _Luck_ , this is the last drabble in the timeline at this point of the fic. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"Sometimes I wonder," Colby began distractedly as he glanced through a file.

"Wonder what?" David inquired, looking up.

"What he'd be like if he'd never left the FBI."

"Eppes?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Well," Colby began hesitantly, glancing about. "If you look at some of these reports, like the transcript of Edgerton's interrogation of Donaldson, or the interviews with Eppes' old colleagues and friends, people really like and respect him. Hell, some of them still refuse to believe he's guilty!"

"Would you believe it of your old teammates?"

"Depends on the person in question," Colby replied darkly.

"Yes, well, that aside, there is another possible motivation for Donaldson's refusal to talk. Fear."

"Perhaps. Although have you seen the footage of the interrogation? He didn't seem particularly afraid, merely determined."

"So, what?" David questioned, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You think he'd make a good boss?"

"It just seems that way," Colby admitted uncomfortably. "If the loyalty he inspires is any indication. I mean, wouldn't you want to work for someone like that instead of Sanderson?"

"Edgerton is great to work for," David replied diplomatically.

"Somehow I don't think Eppes is as different from Edgerton as Ian would want him to be."

May 2008

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I simply couldn't resist doing a drabble where one of the FBI team thinks on what it could be like if things were as they are in the show. Especially not with this word prompt! I mean in another world, that's just begging for it in a series like this.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it.


	18. Tense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian gets an unexpected visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Luck_ and _In Another World_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

"Agent Edgerton."

Briefly Ian froze, the thought ' _Impossible, he wouldn't dare!_ ' flashing across his mind before he managed to recover and pull himself together, remembering just who he was dealing with. As he slowly turned around, he realized that he should have seen this coming. The man had proven his arrogance and unmitigated gall time and again, so why wouldn't he show up outside the FBI building?

"Mr. Eppes," he stated calmly, catching the slight twitch in the man's lips where he lounged against the railing.

"Oh come now, Edgerton, there's no need to stand on ceremony; not when we both know what you really want to call me," Don replied, amusement tingeing his tone as he regarded the agent over the rim of his sunglasses.

"What do you want, Eppes?"

"Do I need a reason to come visit a friend?"

"I'm not your friend," Ian growled.

"Not even after all the time we've spent together discussing the intricacies of the U.S.'s crime?" Don asked as he straightened. "I thought we'd established a real bond there. Did you get my card?"

"Yes, it decorated the bin quite nicely," Ian replied, regaining his equilibrium.

"Tut, tut, Ian. That wasn't very nice."

28 May 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble shows very much why I fell in love with the idea of Don and Charlie as criminals when it was presented to me. Don's arrogance would only have increased from what we see in the series, not to mention his dark side!
> 
> I don't know about you, but I can _so_ picture Don showing up at the FBI building and taunting Ian like this while never saying anything incriminating.


	19. Color

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations for a heist trigger old memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between _Deviation_ and _Third Person_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

_"The nightmares are due to an unresolved internal conflict."_

Don paused before the painting, pretending to study it as the miniature camera hidden in his cuff scanned the security of the coin collection.

_"Internal conflict?" Margaret questioned._

In truth he couldn't see what the fuss was about. It was just a black canvas with red and blue shapes painted onto it.

_"Your son is deeply conflicted and is unable to admit his true desires, even to himself."_

Give him a good old-fashioned painting any day over this modern stuff. Not that he really knew anything about older paintings; other than what they were supposed to be a painting of.

_"Deeply conflicted?" Margaret repeated in disbelief. "He's ten!"_

Though he would bet all the money in their Caribbean accounts that Mrs. Sigmund ( _"As in Sigmund Freud, deary!"_ ) would be able to tell him all about the artist's deepest, darkest, desires simply from his color choices.

_"Don's stubborn attraction to black, red and blue cannot be misinterpreted."_

It still amazed him that his mother, a lawyer, had been desperate enough to take him to a color psychologist.

Sometimes nightmares were just nightmares and sometimes one liked blue simply because it was blue.

12 May 2008

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble once again gives hints towards Don's other reason for joining Charlie in his life of crime. Can anyone guess it yet?
> 
> I hope there's no big modern arts fans here, if so, sorry! I actually do like some of it. Don doesn't strike me as being very arts interested on the whole, though.
> 
> Oh, for those of you wondering, color psychologists do exist.


	20. Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edgerton ponders his greatest puzzle and challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you less familiar with American abbreviations: LEO = law enforcement officer.
> 
> Set between _Learning_ and _Luck_. See the notes at the beginning of the fic for the overall chronological order of the drabbles.

Ian growled as he observed Eppes' relaxed posture on the tape. He'd read the transcript of Sinclair's interview on the plane, but it said nothing of the man's attitude. It wasn't like it was unexpected, by now it was practically par for the course; it would be abnormal for Eppes to be anything but poised when interacting with LEOs. That didn't make it any easier to watch.

Or any less grating.

While it was unfortunate that he'd missed the interview, Edgerton knew better than to think he'd have been able to alter the outcome. He'd gone enough rounds with Eppes to know that the interrogation room wasn't where he'd catch him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't watch all the footage he could get his hands on. It provided him with a ton of information on the man, especially when he didn't realize he was being filmed, or before he'd had a need to hide his true self.

Inevitably, Ian found himself drawn to Eppes' eyes. Despite the fact that he didn't believe in the whole 'window to the soul' cliché, he knew from experience that eyes could often be very telling. Yet, whether calculating, cold or smoldering, Eppes revealed little other than what he wanted to these days.

In the past...

In the past, however, his eyes had revealed a wealth of information. From the joy and pride on his graduation, to the determination and intelligence in his classes, to the mischief and playfulness with his brother, they told Ian a whole story. They told him about the man behind the mask. The man behind his toughest case.

The man he was determined to bring down.

Slowly he was learning just who Don Eppes was and how he thought. When he did, he'd use it lock him away forever.

18 May 2008

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do love this character, especially tormenting him :)
> 
> This attitude of Edgerton's, though, will come back to haunt him unfortunately. Can anyone guess how?
> 
> As the 20th drabble, this ficlet marks the first fifth of the series.

**Author's Note:**

> Future drabbles that have already been written: #22 _Dimensions_ , #24 _Division_ , #26 _Fish_ , #27 _Room Key_ , #28 _Chemistry_ , #29 _Encounter_ , #31 _Mix-Up_ , #42 _Words_ , #43 _Manipulation_ , #46 _Fold_ , #48 _Pill_ , #51 _Shift_ , #52 _Own_ , #62 _Steam_ , #65 _Burn_ , #75 _Daughter_ , #88 _Toast_ , #91 _Champagne_ & #97 _Accident_. Numbers 28, 29, 43, 52 & 65 are part of the same story thread and take place over the course of 24 hours.


End file.
